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Winship KA, Jones BL. Acoustic Monitoring of Professionally Managed Marine Mammals for Health and Welfare Insights. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2124. [PMID: 37443922 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Research evaluating marine mammal welfare and opportunities for advancements in the care of species housed in a professional facility have rapidly increased in the past decade. While topics, such as comfortable housing, adequate social opportunities, stimulating enrichment, and a high standard of medical care, have continued to receive attention from managers and scientists, there is a lack of established acoustic consideration for monitoring the welfare of these animals. Marine mammals rely on sound production and reception for navigation and communication. Regulations governing anthropogenic sound production in our oceans have been put in place by many countries around the world, largely based on the results of research with managed and trained animals, due to the potential negative impacts that unrestricted noise can have on marine mammals. However, there has not been an established best practice for the acoustic welfare monitoring of marine mammals in professional care. By monitoring animal hearing and vocal behavior, a more holistic view of animal welfare can be achieved through the early detection of anthropogenic sound sources, the acoustic behavior of the animals, and even the features of the calls. In this review, the practice of monitoring cetacean acoustic welfare through behavioral hearing tests and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), passive acoustic monitoring, such as the Welfare Acoustic Monitoring System (WAMS), as well as ideas for using advanced technologies for utilizing vocal biomarkers of health are introduced and reviewed as opportunities for integration into marine mammal welfare plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelley A Winship
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr., Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Brittany L Jones
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr., Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
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Kardos M, Zhang Y, Parsons KM, A Y, Kang H, Xu X, Liu X, Matkin CO, Zhang P, Ward EJ, Hanson MB, Emmons C, Ford MJ, Fan G, Li S. Inbreeding depression explains killer whale population dynamics. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:675-686. [PMID: 36941343 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-01995-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the factors that cause endangered populations to either grow or decline is crucial for preserving biodiversity. Conservation efforts often address extrinsic threats, such as environmental degradation and overexploitation, that can limit the recovery of endangered populations. Genetic factors such as inbreeding depression can also affect population dynamics but these effects are rarely measured in the wild and thus often neglected in conservation efforts. Here we show that inbreeding depression strongly influences the population dynamics of an endangered killer whale population, despite genomic signatures of purging of deleterious alleles via natural selection. We find that the 'Southern Residents', which are currently endangered despite nearly 50 years of conservation efforts, exhibit strong inbreeding depression for survival. Our population models suggest that this inbreeding depression limits population growth and predict further decline if the population remains genetically isolated and typical environmental conditions continue. The Southern Residents also had more inferred homozygous deleterious alleles than three other, growing, populations, further suggesting that inbreeding depression affects population fitness. These results demonstrate that inbreeding depression can substantially limit the recovery of endangered populations. Conservation actions focused only on extrinsic threats may therefore fail to account for key intrinsic genetic factors that also limit population growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marty Kardos
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Yaolei Zhang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kim M Parsons
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yunga A
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui Kang
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Xun Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Peijun Zhang
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Eric J Ward
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - M Bradley Hanson
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Candice Emmons
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael J Ford
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China.
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Songhai Li
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.
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Booth CG, Guilpin M, Darias-O’Hara AK, Ransijn JM, Ryder M, Rosen D, Pirotta E, Smout S, McHuron EA, Nabe-Nielsen J, Costa DP. Estimating energetic intake for marine mammal bioenergetic models. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac083. [PMID: 36756464 PMCID: PMC9900471 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergetics is the study of how animals achieve energetic balance. Energetic balance results from the energetic expenditure of an individual and the energy they extract from their environment. Ingested energy depends on several extrinsic (e.g prey species, nutritional value and composition, prey density and availability) and intrinsic factors (e.g. foraging effort, success at catching prey, digestive processes and associated energy losses, and digestive capacity). While the focus in bioenergetic modelling is often on the energetic costs an animal incurs, the robust estimation of an individual's energy intake is equally critical for producing meaningful predictions. Here, we review the components and processes that affect energy intake from ingested gross energy to biologically useful net energy (NE). The current state of knowledge of each parameter is reviewed, shedding light on research gaps to advance this field. The review highlighted that the foraging behaviour of many marine mammals is relatively well studied via biologging tags, with estimates of success rate typically assumed for most species. However, actual prey capture success rates are often only assumed, although we note studies that provide approaches for its estimation using current techniques. A comprehensive collation of the nutritional content of marine mammal prey species revealed a robust foundation from which prey quality (comprising prey species, size and energy density) can be assessed, though data remain unavailable for many prey species. Empirical information on various energy losses following ingestion of prey was unbalanced among marine mammal species, with considerably more literature available for pinnipeds. An increased understanding and accurate estimate of each of the components that comprise a species NE intake are an integral part of bioenergetics. Such models provide a key tool to investigate the effects of disturbance on marine mammals at an individual and population level and to support effective conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cormac G Booth
- Corresponding author: SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK.
| | | | - Aimee-Kate Darias-O’Hara
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Janneke M Ransijn
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Megan Ryder
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Dave Rosen
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall,
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling,
The Observatory, Buchanan
Gardens, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews,
KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Sophie Smout
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Jacob Nabe-Nielsen
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK-4000
Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 130
McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
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Bland R, Methion S, Sharp SP, Díaz López B. Assessing variability in marine traffic exposure between baleen whale species off the Galician Coast, Spain. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 186:114439. [PMID: 36470096 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Increases in marine traffic represent a growing issue for marine wildlife, posing threats through the impacts of ship strikes and noise pollution. Baleen whales are especially vulnerable to these impacts, yet regional and species-specific information on exposure to such threats is lacking. This study uses AIS and observational data to provide the first assessment of baleen whale exposure to vessel traffic on the NW coast of Spain. Overlap with vessel traffic was detected for all areas where whales were sighted, indicating that these species may be at risk of vessel exposure and its associated impacts. Level of exposure to vessel traffic experienced by whales was species-specific, with risk of exposure appearing highest for minke whales. Vessel exposure also displayed intra- and inter-annual variability and a significant influence of feeding behaviour highlighting the need for dynamic management tools to minimise interactions between baleen whales and marine traffic off the Galician Coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhian Bland
- Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI), Av. Beiramar 192, O Grove CP. 36980, Spain; Lancaster University, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - Séverine Methion
- Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI), Av. Beiramar 192, O Grove CP. 36980, Spain
| | - Stuart P Sharp
- Lancaster University, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - Bruno Díaz López
- Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI), Av. Beiramar 192, O Grove CP. 36980, Spain.
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Lyamin OI, Nazarenko EA, Rozhnov VV. Evaluation of an Instrumental Method of Classification of Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Behaviors Based on the Parameters of Acceleration. DOKL BIOCHEM BIOPHYS 2022; 506:223-226. [DOI: 10.1134/s1607672922050106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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King SL, Jensen FH. Rise of the machines: Integrating technology with playback experiments to study cetacean social cognition in the wild. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L. King
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol BS8 1TQ Bristol United Kingdom
| | - Frants H. Jensen
- Biology department, Syracuse University 107 College Place 13244 Syracuse NY USA
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